WASHINGTON, June 17 (AFP) - The music industry's main trade association is seeking government rules to require digital radio to use technology to prevent illegal copying and piracy of songs. The Recording Industry Association of America, in comments filed this week to the Federal Communications Commission, said the new high-definition radio, if left unprotected from copying, would create vast opportunities for piracy. The RIAA argued that "unprotected high-definition radio could become a popular substitute for unauthorized peer-to-peer networks, as consumers could acquire all the music they want from free over-the-air broadcasts with CD-like quality," the association said in a statement. It argued that consumers could use automated search functions on digital broadcasts to find and record music, and then re-distribute the music over the Internet. The group said the FCC should require encryption of music or "audio protection flag" technology to identify the source of the music. "The potential upside of digital radio for fans, artists and labels, broadcasters and others in the music chain is tantalizing," said RIAA chairman Mitch Bainwol. "For the potential to be fully realized, we need the help of the FCC to approve some common-sense safeguards. Given the enormous damage of peer-to-peer piracy, a little advance prudence would go a long way." tu/rl/mdl US-Internet-music COPYRIGHT 2004 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.


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Atlanta's Hot 107.9's 9th annual Birthday Bash concert took place this weekend with a sell out crowd and the hottest southern players representing. But the show was abruptly shut-down when T.I., fresh out of the pen, went on a fifteen-minute trade dissing Lil Flip.

"I heard ni99as tryna call themselves the King of the South" screamed T.I. from the stage wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit. "Get ya punk ass out here," he continued, calling Lil Flip who was scheduled to perform next.

T.I. took the stage in his inmate gear, somehow given permission to appear at the event by the Fulton County Sheriff's office despite reports of his unauthorized video shoot at the prison last week. However, the Sheriff's office refused to allow T.I. to play the unauthorized video, which was supposed to be the intro for his set, on the Hi Fi Buys Amphiteater monitor.

T.I. performed his hits, including "Rubberband Man" before he began a vicious tirade dissing Houston's Lil Flip, who was scheduled to be next on the roster. Calling himself the real "King of the South, T.I. proceeded to pull out large pictures of Flip dressed in a gaudy green Leprechaun suit. The beef is said to have stemmed from Lil Flip's comments at an Altanta concert this March when he allegedly called out T.I. for being in jail and said he was the "King of the South."

The show was abruptly ended before Lil Flip was able to take the stage. Prior to the T.I. tirade, the annual birthday bash for Hot 107.9 went off without a hitch featuring performances by Lil Scrappy and Trillville, Lil Jon, Pastor Troy, 8Ball & MJG, Kanye West and Jadakiss.

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Jay-Z showed his versatility on Friday night when he did a surprise rock/rap jam session in Brooklyn with Phish.

Phish fans at Keyspan Park near Coney Island got an extra treat when Marcy Project's own Jay-Z took the stage to perform two of his hits with the jam band. With Phish providing the musical accompaniment, Jay-Z ran through the guitar-laced "99 Problems" and the crowd favorite, "Big Pimpin."

Phish, known for hits like "Tweezer" and "Down with Disease" was putting on its final NY performance before the band splits for good this summer.

Jay-Z, who announced his retirement with his Black Album last year, is rumored to be launching another record label and will appear at the BET Awards this June.